Why Not Rand Paul?

By Dave Huntwork, on March 30th, 2014

“Mr. President, we will not let you run roughshod over our rights. We will challenge you in the courts, we will battle you at the ballot box. Mr. President, we will not let you shred our Constitution… It is decidedly not a time for the faint of heart. It is a time for boldness and action. The time is now. Stand with me, let us stand together for liberty.” – Senator Rand Paul

That message is the heart and soul of a possible Rand Paul run for the White House. He has urged us to imagine electing a President that is a “friend of liberty” who will defend the Constitution and push back against a federal government that is trampling our individual rights. Now is definitely the time for a “national revival of liberty” to restore the constitutional rights that have been under assault by the progressive cabal who have seized control of the Republic.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the junior senator from Kentucky is seriously considering a presidential run in 2016. Like any smart, potential candidate he has consistently found a way to be up front on the great debates of the day and a perpetual center of media attention.

He was a huge hit at the recent CPAC event and his appeal has continued to grow across the political spectrum in general, and within the Republican Party specifically. After the last State of the Union address there was an official Republican Party response delivered by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and an official TEA Party response delivered by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee. Then there was the official Rand Paul response by Senator Rand Paul. Who expected any less? Rand Paul is increasingly a movement all his own and his appeal is not constrained by the more traditional, and even newer, political power blocs.

Paul shot to national prominence when he led a filibuster against the nomination of John O. Brennan as CIA director and dared to question the “right” of the Obama administration to order drone strikes on US citizens on American soil. His rise and popularity has continued unabated since then. The message he has crafted and the image he has cultivated has helped to bridge the gap between the libertarian and the conservative movements. Paul is immensely popular among young males in particular, as well as with those who oppose big government and government invasions of privacy. Not to mention the great numbers who don’t necessarily fit into any conventional political mold. Those who have no interest in living under the soft tyranny of socialism, arming Islamists overseas, or waging additional wars of choice have found someone who articulates their own thoughts and feelings with intelligence and wit.

The fallacy of the thinking of the liberal elite currently in power is that they think their rules should only apply to others because everyone else is too stupid, ignorant, or less valuable than themselves. They want to confiscate your guns but have concealed weapons permits and armed bodyguards. They want to invade your privacy yet expect to keep theirs. That is the progressive fallacy that eventually explains why all the political ideologies that ultimately emerged from the philosophy of Marx don’t work in practice. Hypocrisy is the most fanatically followed religion in the world and its adherents are legion.

Rand Paul has dared to directly challenge them on this and therefore has become a grave threat to their power, ideology, and agenda. The 4th is just as important as the 2nd amendment and the religious and speech protections of the first, and all the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights must be preserved and defended vigorously for us to remain a truly free people.

The supporters of Rand Paul span the range from traditional and civil libertarians to constitutionalists and conservatives, from the TEA Party to evangelicals and the Christian Right. All those who see danger arising from those who peddle the doctrines of statism and the progressive, nanny state have found his message of a return to liberty and constitutional governance free of undue governmental spying, interference, and regulation to be extremely appealing. It is the right message at the right time and he is increasingly finding a receptive audience for it. The fast paced creation and increased implementation of the turn-key tyranny and surveillance state, by necessity, must be the foremost issue in the next presidential election. We are at a pivotal moment in history and if we go down that path as a civilization and a nation then all the other major issues that are of vital importance to you will have been lost as well. If that domino falls, then they will all fall without fail.

Paul’s own family brand of libertarian politics and reputation handed down by his father helps make significant inroads into younger, independent votes as well as others who are less likely to traditionally vote for a Republican. For the more traditional conservative and values voter he has made great efforts to signal that he is in fact pro-life and not a champion of the gay agenda while reassuring evangelical Christians that he is more supportive of the state of Israel than his father was seen to be. It seems to be a “wink wink, nudge nudge” relationship with cultural conservatives and Christians. While he may not be wearing such issues on his sleeve like potential GOP rivals Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee for example, he has sent the proper signals that he is genuinely acceptable on the issues that are important to them. That message seems to have been received.

The more one listens and pays attention to both his words and deeds the more appealing a possible run becomes. Paul just seems to “get it” more than any other potential GOP presidential candidate and is currently standing head and shoulders above the rest of the possible field when it comes to the most fundamental issues of the day and the ones that most directly affect the vision of the Founding Fathers. Additionally, he is currently polling remarkably well from New Hampshire to Colorado, not only among Republican party presidential wannabes but in general head-to-head polls against Hillary Clinton. That is something worthy of note.

Rand Paul and his supporters do need to prepare themselves for the onslaught of hate and character assassination that the liberals, and the GOP Establishment and elite, are going to throw at him as he continues to increase in stature and viability. The more he is seen as a credible threat to the status quo and those who perpetuate the Washington business as usual mentality, the more shrill and vicious the attacks will become. No man or candidate is perfect, but in a time when traditional looking and sounding politicians are increasingly loathed he doesn’t look or sound like one and that may be of significance over the long haul.

The simple but effective message that the government is spying on, and intruding upon, nearly everything you do and it needs to stop is a powerful one that resonates across the political spectrum and is one that is very hard for a political opponent to argue against. In the end, there are still a vast number of Americans that really and truly just want to be left alone and live free as they go about their daily lives. Such sentiments, when properly appealed too, could very well provide a strong base of support for a Paul presidential bid. That conversation, and the discussion of the potential merits and liabilities of a possible Rand Paul candidacy, is one that needs to take place.

David Huntwork is a conservative activist, blogger, and columnist and the proud father of three daughters. The son, grandson, and great-grandson of Ministers of the Gospel he brings a unique blended background of theology and ideology to the great debates of the day. He believes that Faith, Family, and Freedom is the formula for success and the key to a good life and a healthy nation. David blogs at Constitutionclub.org. You can contact him at Davehuntwork@juno.com., Dave Huntwork, Dave Huntwork, Category: Corruption, Elections, Campaigns